I just got back from a three day trip to New Orleans. It was a great get away. Here are some of the highlights.
We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel. This is a great location as it is just outside the French Quarter off Canal Street, near the museum district, and not far from Harrah's Casino..
Suggestions of where to go:
The WWII Museum is the best I've seen. It is new and the technology is great. It has a lot of planes on display. The movies that go with the history of the war are very good. I really liked the stories that the people told about being in the war.
Longue Vue House and Garden:
The former owner and resident of the house was the founder of Sears. The wife lived in the house about 30 years. They had 32 servants, 16 inside and 16 outside for the gardens. They also had two chauffeurs. They lived a life of luxury, playing tennis, gardening, and holding parties. Their house is full of very advanced technology including an elevator, a master set of light switches, closet lights that went on when you opened the closet door and a master switch for all the clocks in the house and central air.
The wall murals were imported from Europe and depicted European scenes. One of the rooms is full of contemporary art. She had an original Kandinsky that she donated to an art museum. The lamp shades were all handmade. She had cigarettes on the table. The dining room windows were on a switch that made them drop into the lower level of the house so that she could have tea on the patio outside. The bathroom scale was built into the floor and the dials were on the wall showing your weight.
The gardens were also lovely. She had a garden room for transplanting flowers and making flower arrangements.
The garden with fountains is very large.
The stone patterns in the walk around the garden is very unique.
They had several famous people stay with them including Eleanor Roosevelt and John Kennedy.
One bedroom was for their grandchildren and included three murphey beds.
After she moved out of the house, she donated it to the city of New Orleans.
Garden District:
There are lots of large mansions.
On Magazine street, there are many shops. Antique shops are prominent.
The St. Charles Trolley takes you to Washington Street where you get off and walk a few blocks to Magazine St. Along the way was a cemetery.
Hotels:
The large chain hotels are around the perimeter of The French Quarter..
Mardi Gras World is a must to see if you like art.
You not only get to see a lot of the floats, but hear the history of Mardi Gras as well as see how they are made. You get to try on costumes and take photos and sample King's Cake. This is a traditional cake that is served during Mardi Gras. If you find the baby hidden inside, you must bring the cake the next year and you will have good luck. The cake is made of cinnamon bread and is covered in frosting. It is like a cinnamon roll.
Entertainment:
Jazz Brunch at The Little Gem. The food was awesome and the band matched.
Antoines is a five star restaurant with ambiance to match. Ask your waiter for a tour of it's famous rooms: Mystery, Dungeon, Rex, Twelve Night, Japanese, and Capital to name a few. Each has its own story. All US presidents since Taft have eaten there. The food is great. It has the second largest wine cellar in the US. It is well worth the trip.
Jazz bands by the truckload are available on Frenchman St. We walked a few blocks and went into about 5 establishments that had bands playing. They were top notch. Don't forget Bourbon Street as well. There is a new restaurant called BB King Blues Club on the edge of the French Quarter.. BB King's band played a few weeks ago.
Harrah's Casino was close to our hotel. I don't think the odds are very good.
No trip to New Orleans is complete without a Ghost Walk. You learn so much about the history of the city.
Shopping is available in many places. It was so much fun walking the French Quarter and window shopping in all the vintage stores. If you like more more upscale shopping, try the Outlet Mall near the casino. If you like street shopping try the market near Cafe Dumond. You can find the best souvenirs there.
The city is well restored after the aftermath of Katrina. The people were very friendly and there is a plethora of transportation from taxis, Uber, Hop On and Hop Off Bus, and Trolley. There are several plantations to visit and swamp tours. The zoo would also be a great place to visit if you have more time. If you love jazz and Cajun food, New Orleans is the place to visit.
We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel. This is a great location as it is just outside the French Quarter off Canal Street, near the museum district, and not far from Harrah's Casino..
Suggestions of where to go:
The WWII Museum is the best I've seen. It is new and the technology is great. It has a lot of planes on display. The movies that go with the history of the war are very good. I really liked the stories that the people told about being in the war.
Longue Vue House and Garden:
The former owner and resident of the house was the founder of Sears. The wife lived in the house about 30 years. They had 32 servants, 16 inside and 16 outside for the gardens. They also had two chauffeurs. They lived a life of luxury, playing tennis, gardening, and holding parties. Their house is full of very advanced technology including an elevator, a master set of light switches, closet lights that went on when you opened the closet door and a master switch for all the clocks in the house and central air.
The wall murals were imported from Europe and depicted European scenes. One of the rooms is full of contemporary art. She had an original Kandinsky that she donated to an art museum. The lamp shades were all handmade. She had cigarettes on the table. The dining room windows were on a switch that made them drop into the lower level of the house so that she could have tea on the patio outside. The bathroom scale was built into the floor and the dials were on the wall showing your weight.
The gardens were also lovely. She had a garden room for transplanting flowers and making flower arrangements.
The garden with fountains is very large.
The stone patterns in the walk around the garden is very unique.
They had several famous people stay with them including Eleanor Roosevelt and John Kennedy.
One bedroom was for their grandchildren and included three murphey beds.
After she moved out of the house, she donated it to the city of New Orleans.
Garden District:
There are lots of large mansions.
On Magazine street, there are many shops. Antique shops are prominent.
The St. Charles Trolley takes you to Washington Street where you get off and walk a few blocks to Magazine St. Along the way was a cemetery.
Hotels:
The large chain hotels are around the perimeter of The French Quarter..
Mardi Gras World is a must to see if you like art.
You not only get to see a lot of the floats, but hear the history of Mardi Gras as well as see how they are made. You get to try on costumes and take photos and sample King's Cake. This is a traditional cake that is served during Mardi Gras. If you find the baby hidden inside, you must bring the cake the next year and you will have good luck. The cake is made of cinnamon bread and is covered in frosting. It is like a cinnamon roll.
Entertainment:
Jazz Brunch at The Little Gem. The food was awesome and the band matched.
Antoines is a five star restaurant with ambiance to match. Ask your waiter for a tour of it's famous rooms: Mystery, Dungeon, Rex, Twelve Night, Japanese, and Capital to name a few. Each has its own story. All US presidents since Taft have eaten there. The food is great. It has the second largest wine cellar in the US. It is well worth the trip.
Jazz bands by the truckload are available on Frenchman St. We walked a few blocks and went into about 5 establishments that had bands playing. They were top notch. Don't forget Bourbon Street as well. There is a new restaurant called BB King Blues Club on the edge of the French Quarter.. BB King's band played a few weeks ago.
Harrah's Casino was close to our hotel. I don't think the odds are very good.
No trip to New Orleans is complete without a Ghost Walk. You learn so much about the history of the city.
Shopping is available in many places. It was so much fun walking the French Quarter and window shopping in all the vintage stores. If you like more more upscale shopping, try the Outlet Mall near the casino. If you like street shopping try the market near Cafe Dumond. You can find the best souvenirs there.
The city is well restored after the aftermath of Katrina. The people were very friendly and there is a plethora of transportation from taxis, Uber, Hop On and Hop Off Bus, and Trolley. There are several plantations to visit and swamp tours. The zoo would also be a great place to visit if you have more time. If you love jazz and Cajun food, New Orleans is the place to visit.
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